Viagra To Help Orgasm In Depressed Women

A new study published in the Journal of American Medical Association has shown that Viagra maybe effective at combating sexual dysfunction in women taking antidepressants.

The research, which involved 98 premenopausal women, found that Viagra helped them reach orgasm, but did not increase sex drive.

Psychologist Stanley Althof, director of the Center for Marital and Sexual Health of South Florida in West Palm Beach, who was not involved in the study, said:

“For women on antidepressants with orgasm problems, this may provide some wonderful relief…

“But it will not improve their desire or arousal.”

Antidepressants often have common side effects that cripple sex drive and performance. More than half the people taking antidepressants report sexual problems and for this reason, many patients stop taking them.

Scientists believe this is because drugs like Prozac, Paxil, Celexa work by increasing serotonin levels in the brain. Serotonin is thought to slow down orgasm, by diminishing the release of dopamine.

The new Viagra findings were are based on an eight-week experiment involving 98 women with an average age of 35. All the participants were successfully using antidepressants.

The women agreed to attempt sexual activity at least once each week, Each time taking a pill not knowing if it was Viagra, or a placebo alternative.

72 percent of the women taking Viagra reported improvement overall, while only 27 percent of the women taking the placebo reported improvement.

While the results may seem promising, many experts still remain skeptical. Althof said it’s “worrisome” that 43 percent of the women on Viagra experienced headaches, compared to 27 percent of the women on dummy pills. Indigestion and reddening of skin (flushing) were also reported more often by the women taking Viagra.

Psychologist Leonore Tiefer of New York University School of Medicine noted the funded by a Pfizer grant, found more side effects than benefits.

“Where’s the question to the women: Is it worth it?” Tiefer said.

An earlier study in men taking antidepressants found more pronounced sexual benefits with Viagra than the benefits found for women, said lead author Dr. George Nurnberg, a psychiatrist at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine in Albuquerque.

And although the search for a Viagra equivalent for women has been somewhat disheartening, the message for both men and women who need antidepressants is that “Viagra may help them stay on the drugs,” he said.

“We’re not talking about a lifestyle issue. We’re talking about a medical necessity issue,” he added.

Pfizer Inc. spokeswoman Sally Beatty said the company currently has no plans to pursue FDA approval for using its drug Viagra as a treatment for female sexual dysfunction.

The company ended its internal research on Viagra for women in 2004. While Viagra was found to be safe, the results were inconclusive, Beatty said in an e-mail.